1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a load carrying harness and more particularly to an improved compact, lightweight, flexible harness useful as a backpacking harness for carrying irregularly shaped articles on a person's back.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of backpacking harness has become increasingly popular in recent years, and elaborate equipment has been developed for various uses ranging from the carrying of books by students to camping equipment and supplies by outdoorsman. Such equipment generally has included a rigid frame structure supported on the back by a system of straps extending over the shoulder and around the body of the wearer, with a canvas cover supported on the frame to provide pockets, ties, and the like for containing and carrying articles. It is also known to provide lightweight backpack pouches or knapsacks supported on the back by shoulder straps. Such equipment, however, is relatively bulky, even when formed from the lightweight, high strength synthetic fabric materials now available so that, when empty, the device cannot comfortably be worned under outer clothing or conveniently carried in the pocket. Further, the lightweight knapsack type equipment generally available does not provide for carrying relatively large, irreguarly shaped articles.
Carrying harness is also known which includes flexible shoulder straps employed in combination with a waist-encircleing belt or strap to distribute weight between the shoulders and hips. One such device is illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 707,610 which teaches the use of flexible load supporting straps on the belt for carrying loads such as stretchers, with a portion of the load being carried by shoulder straps attached to the belt at points adjacent the load supporting straps.
While the prior art devices of the type described above have generally been useful for their intended purposes, there has remained a need for a compact, lightweight backpack harness for general purpose use in the carrying of relatively light, or irregularly shaped articles. For example, hunters, or hikers on a days outing may require heavy coats in early morning or late afternoon hours which are not needed during the warmer portion of the day. Carrying of such excess clothing, when not being worn, interferes with the free use of a person's hands and it would be convenient to have a means for carrying such articles when needed and which would not interfere with the persons movement or activity when not in use. Accordingly, it is the primary object to the present invention to provide an improved, lightweight, flexible and compact backpack harness.
Another object of the invention is to provide such an improved backpack harness which may be comfortably worn under a coat or jacket when not in use to carry a load, or alternatively can be removed and easily carried in a pocket.
Another object is to provide such an improved backpack harness having means for attaching articles of various shapes thereto for support on the wearers back.